Later German designs already exchanged some speed for guns and armor: the Derfflingers were roughly 26.5-knot ships, Mackensen was designed for about 28 knots, and Ersatz Yorck dropped to about 27.3 knots. The lower speed of the later design made room for larger guns and more protection, moving the type closer to a fast battleship. The question is whether Germany should have accepted a ceiling near 27 knots and built ships capable of scouting while offering stronger support to the battle line. Such ships would not outrun British battlecruisers, but they could combine useful scouting speed with greater battle-line weight. Britain and France would then have faced pressure to answer them earlier and at greater expense.
Notable Point · 51:13-53:42
What if Germany built fast battleships instead of battlecruisers?
The closing counterfactual asks whether 27-knot ships with heavier guns and armor could have filled Germany's scouting and second-line roles while forcing costly foreign responses.